Polo - college level playing

[cwill]

Tell me about polo, especially about polo at the university level. Should a low level dressage rider (me) with no team sport experience and NO hand eye coordination even attempt it? I know I have no chance at varisity but it seems like it could be fun and my college has a team.
Thanks

[LexInVA]

Go for it. No reason not to unless the team is a bunch of douche nozzles.

[Mike Matson]

I played polo for four years, including some pick up games with college teams. I suggest you talk to the team coach and explore possibilities. It's great fun and will improve your ability to stay on a horse at speed and in "unusual" situations. ;)

[JustJumpIt!]

I didn't play, but the university I was at for ten years had a top team, and I know that most of the team joined with no polo experience. Tryouts mainly consisted of riding ability. They started on a freshman team learning the game, then "graduated" to a JV team if they showed promise, then eventually to the competing varsity team. It always looked like so much fun, but I was riding several horses at the time and didn't have time to attempt polo, as well - I say go for it!

[lindsay_aggie]

It is TONS of fun! I played in college and went into it with no polo experience. I ended up not only playing but excercising and riding green horses for some local people. Here in Texas it is arena polo for the colleges but we always played some outdoor just for fun. Our club ranged from people who grew up playing polo down to people who were just learning to ride (which could be a little annoying, but generally only the serious ones lasted). Also, legging the horses up is a great way to work on your riding and stay fit yourself.

[RoyalTRider]

I play. I think it depends on your personality. I'm like you: no organized sports for years before I started playing (five years ago) and NO hand-eye coordination, with a personality no one would peg for a polo player. Is it fun? A BLAST! The most fun ever. However.... it can also be very frustrating, at times. Over the past summer, I played with people on college club teams, including the one at my school. They are not mean about being competitive (in other words, don't treat me poorly for not being up to their level), but they are competitive. I have gotten frustrated knowing that I am hurting my team because my skill level isn't as high as theirs. And there are no subs in polo, so if they are falling behind on the scoreboard because I am getting tired or can't keep up with the speed (the college club members I've played with play at a steady gallop the entire time), they can't give me a breather for a few minutes.

That doesn't mean I shouldn't play or would suggest anyone not play. In fact, I highly recommend playing with the club (if you look into it, speak to the people involved, and it is a good fit for you). Just be prepared that- depending on your college- you may be playing with people much more skilled than you are, more aggressive, and doing a very different type of riding.

Greatest sport on the planet. Prepare yourself, and give it a whirl!

[LovelyBay]

Which College are you thinking of playing at? I'm from Oregon and I'm pretty sure there are only two colleges there that have polo team, and I played on one, and my roommate played on the other. If you PM me I can share more info. I also work where there is a college polo team and I can tell you what I know about them...

I started playing polo with no real riding experience. I was fun, and because I already knew how to stay on a horse I did just find. It will ruin some of your dressage techniques FYI. I came back from playing polo and my instructor was horrified... There were lots of people on our team that had never been on a horse before! That was scary to watch!

[cwill]

Thanks for the replies. I went to the first practice last night and had fun- hence the post about polo. I hit the ball a few times at the walk and had a very low success rate but watched one of the better riders hit the ball around a little. It looks like something I might enjoy but I'm just worried because I am so not the athletic ballplayer type.:lol:

[LovelyBay]

Don't worry it will get easier! The hardest part for me was not breaking my wrist (had get get a good wrist brace) and learning all the rules. I'm not super athletic either, but it wasn't really an issue.

[camohn]

The key is to NOT try too hard. If you try and kill the ball you will end up with bad hits and elbow tendonitis. Once the mallet is up "let it fall" towards the ball and let gravity/momentum do most of the work. It both hurts less AND works better!! Bamboo mallets conduct a lot less vibration than the newer composite mallets as well. Most folks I know that tried fancy schmansy graphite mallets went back to good old bamboo.

[halla]

Do it!!

I joined the club my last year of school because I was desperate to ride and it was the only way I could afford it. I have almost no coordination whatsoever, can't play ball sports to save my life, and had never been on a team of any kind. Gym was my nightmare. Polo, however, is amazing, and I LOVED it. I kept playing after I moved back home until that program closed, and it was so much fun.

If you ride even half-decently by regular riding standards, you'll have a big advantage over other beginners. I couldn't hit a ball in a game situation until I'd been playing for a few years, but just knowing things like how to steer with legs let me be a pretty good defensive player. Also if you pay attention to how the game works, that can be another advantage that helps overcome poor hitting skills. Hopefully they'll divide players up somewhat by skill, which would help.

The best part is the ponies - some knew the game better than us, and they are like little sports cars. I really miss them.